This Could All Disappear
by Moonsetta
Summary: Based on lost episode, "Demons and Dragons." What happened after Leo was injured? Why didn't he receive a soul weapon like the others? My thoughts and explanation. Story written in Raph's POV.


Ok I was watching TMNT, of course, it's Saturday what else would I be doing? Anyways I was watching the episode, "Demons and Dragons," and well yeah this popped up in my mind when Leo ends up saving everyone from those water demons by actually stopping the river! I'm not counting that as impossible ever again but come on, it's Leo, he does the impossible on a normal basis, probably just for fun.

Well, I couldn't help but aww when Raph ran to him after he was hurt using that much power. So I wondered what happened between there and the return to the Ninja Tribunal because it had to at least of taken them a few hours to get back and I can tell Leo was having trouble breathing after that attack. Well, everything else aside, here's my thoughts.

Oh, written in Raph's point of view.

I don't own TMNT.

* * *

I slowly open my eyes and blink away the blurriness. Wow, could you have made it any brighter Leo? I notice I'm no longer standing ankle deep in water but on completely dry soil. You think it would be mud. Uh, I guess that should've been Leo's weapon all the time. I glance up, to say such a thing to Leo. He's not standing, he's on the ground, not moving!

"Leo!" I shout and run to him, dropping down next to him and turning him over to face me, carefully lifting his head so he can maybe breath better.

He's still breathing though and he's conscious but I don't like the struggling breaths he's trying so hard to take.

"Leo!" my little brothers both yell and rUn up behind me.

"Leo," I whispered, "Leo!"

He's still breathing like that and he won't open his eyes!

"Donny!" I shout, even though my immediate little brother is right behind me.

Donny drops to Leo's other side and lays a hand on his chest, "He has an accelerated heart rate, breathing is definitely off."

"Well I could've told ya that!" I want to scream at him, but I keep my mouth shut.

"We need to get back," Donny says, "I can't do anything here. The large blast of energy zapped a lot out of him. He's weakened, his blood is pumping too fast, he appears dehydrated, his airway seems to have constricted in on itself and his muscles aren't responding to the messages the brain is sending."

"Well, what are we waiting for we need to get back!" I shout, "Donny, Mikey help me out! Adam grab the casket! Joi and Tora help Faraji back onto the ship!"

I make sure my steps are slow and careful. I want to yell at Leo but it wouldn't make any difference! He's got to stop doing this to us! What if one day he protects us and he doesn't walk away from it!? I growl a bit but take a deep breath because I know it's not going to help.

"Set him down gently," Donny says quietly when we reach the center of the ship.

Well, duh! I look back and watch as the others climb aboard. Of course my gaze atomically goes to Leo when I hear him gasp.

"Leo?" I ask.

He's gasping, his voice sounding like someone's taken sandpaper to it. If those creatures weren't already dead I'd skin every one of them!

"We need to elevate his head and chest," Donny mumbles.

Finally, something to do. I hate feeling helpless in these situations but Leo keeps putting us in them! I bury my anger for now, planning to take it out somehow later. I sit down behind Leo and carefully sit him up, lying his head against my shoulder.

"This enough?" I ask.

Donny nods then frowns, "Oh, his skin's heating up. Well, that means his body's trying to get its energy back so he should be ok."

I hear Mikey take a relieved breath as soon as I do.

"Can we do anything else?" Mikey asks before I can.

"I don't know maybe if we had some fresh water and some cloth to try to keep his fever under control."

"I'm on it!" Mikey shouts.

"Don't even bother Mikey, every water source near is salt water," Donny explains, "We don't even have anything to hold water."

"Don't sweat it, I got it covered," Mikey says, beginning to glow and jumping off the side of the boat.

"Mikey!" Donny and I both shout at once.

He's back, standing next to us, holding two bowls of water.

"Mikey where did you go!?" Donny asks in a yell of course.

"I saw an old abonded well as we were passing that last cover of trees and I carved the bowls from wood as quickly as I could."

"Ok," I say raising one eye ridge at him.

He just smiled that Mikey smile and I shook my head, when did I let my baby brother start getting to me?

"Fine, but don't you dare do that again!" Donny yells.

"Yeah, Leo's hurt and you just decide to jump off the side of moving, well flying boat!? What were you thinking?!" I scream.

Mikey sits at Leo's side and looks over him, "I was thinking of helping Leo," he said in a quiet voice.

I frown and instantly feel guilty. Ok so he's worried as much as we are.

"Just don't go running off like that," I say in a calm voice, "Don't scare us again, ok?"

Mikey nods and hands the bowls to Donny. One's smaller than the other so I'm guessing we'll be trying to get him to drink something. Donny hands me the smallest one and turns to Mikey.

"Mikey you can help more, we'll need some sort of cloth."

Mikey smiles and jumps to his feet, "I'm on it!"

He starts to glow again and in under three seconds he's back with some kind of cloth in his hands, "I found it below deck."

"Great job Mikey," I say and smile at him.

Yeah, he needs to be helpful once in awhile. Well, and it's logical. I mean, I'm the one holding on to Leo and Donny needs to be here in case something worse suddenly happens so of course we need Mikey. Mikey smiles back and hands the cloth to Donny. After Donny lays it over Leo's forehead I'm suddenly surprised to feel how warm his skin is, definitely a fever. But he's gonna be alright. At least, that's what I always tell myself.

"Leo?" Donny asks as he lays a hand on his chest.

Leo opens his mouth to release a breath but that's all he can manage.

"Donny, I'll take care of this," I say looking up at my little brothers, "You help Adam with steering the ship. Mikey, you see to the others, make sure they're ok."

They both nod and leave. I'm not really worried about anything else at this point.

"Leo?" I asked softly.

He groans and I inwardly cringe, only guessing what he's feeling.

His eyes part open and stare up at me. I smile and sigh with relief, thank goodness. Leo sure knows how to scare you.

"Come on bro," I say quietly, "You need to drink this."

He stares at the bowl and tries to lift his shaking arms, but he can't. I'm suddenly angrier as Donny's previous words echo in my head.

"…_his muscles aren't responding…"_

I almost lash out and tear a hole in the boat but a sudden cough from Leo stops my anger cold.

"Leo!" I say as he continues to cough and he leans forward.

"It's just a cough," I think and take deep breaths to calm myself down.

Of course, I'm calm when he coughs but then I'm not ok when he starts coughing out blood!

"Leo!" I yell and manage to set the bowl down without spilling it much.

I hold onto him tightly as blood continues to spill out

All I can do is yell, "Donny!"

He and Mikey are by us in a flash and surprisingly so are the others.

"Leo!" Mikey and Donny yell as they fall to his side.

I don't know what to do so I just hang onto him. Oh, he's still coughing up blood.

Donny gulps, "We can only wait."

For five minutes that seemed like forever he finally stops but he's breathing heavier than before and I do not think that is a good sign. After it all passes I pull him back to me, his head back on my shoulder and his shell resting against my chest. He cracks his eyes open again and tries to say something but can't.

"Just be quiet bro, you're ok," I say although I'm trying to convince myself and the others after that.

"Donny, is it still safe for him to drink something?' Mikey asks.

"I don't know, maybe or maybe not," Donny says uneasily.

I do not like that. Donny is supposed to know this! I think the water could cause more damage but he just looks like he's in so much pain. I ignore my first thought and grab the small bowl of water again. If it even eases the pain for a second Leo would be grateful, I know.

His muscles still aren't responding so I raise the bowl to his mouth.

"Come on Leo, ya gotta drink this," he makes no move to reopen his mouth, "Come on bro, please?"

He opens his mouth just enough I manage to get some of the water in him, it's probably mixed with his blood inside his mouth and throat but he needs water if his body's overheating. I realize two, well three shocking things.

1. Leo actually let me help him, that's very unusual considering he's just as stubborn as I am when it comes to accepting help.

2. I had said the word please.

3. Everyone's here-

WHO THE HECK IS STEERING THIS THING!?

"Uh, guys," Mikey asks with a squeak in his voice.

We turn look to find the ship is heading right for a cliff. Donny and Adam rush to the wheel and straiten the ship. Everyone sighs in relief and I turn my attention back to Leo.

"Raph, what ha-"

I shove the bowl back to his mouth to shut him up, "It's ok bro. We're all ok, now drink more. You're fever's still awfully high."

He complies without argument, drinking slowly, probably using all the energy he has for just that. I frown again and pull him a bit closer. Mikey slowly leans closer and places the cloth back over Leo's forehead, it had fallen off during his coughing fit. I turn to the others to find Joi, Tora and Faraji staring at us sadly.

"Is he going to be alright?" Faraji asks.

I scoff, "Of course he's gonna be alright, this is Leo he does the impossible all the time. This is nothing compared to…before."

Mikey meets my eyes and we both replay the memory in our minds. I hear the glass breaking again and his scream. Yeah, that was the scariest day of my life.

"Before?" Tora asks as he and Joi help Faraji sit down on a bench nearby.

"Well, a lot of befores," Mikey mumbles.

We both take turns mumbling out what reminds us of each memory.

"First fight with the Shredder," I say quietly.

"April's place, the ambush by the Foot," Mikey says.

"The coma."

"The bridge."

"Another ambush."

"Poisoning at the Battle Nexus," says Donny as he walks to us and sits down on Leo's left, "The second coma."

"Stabbing by Karai," I growl, with a silent promise to make her pay for that.

"The Shredder's ship when the core exploded," Mikey said softly, lying a hand on Leo's right arm.

"Wow, what have you guys gone through?" Joi asks.

"You have no idea," Donny says and removes the cloth to dampen it once again before laying it back over Leo's forehead.

Eventually, everyone leaves but Faraji who's still sitting a few meters away, watching us closely.

He's starting to annoy me, "What?" I ask, and try not to sound harsh.

"You care for him a lot," he says.

"Duh, he is my brother," I say.

"And you are very terrified of losing him?"

"Always have been, I mean," I sigh, "We may all be close in age but he is my big brother, the only big brother I got and no matter what happens to him my father's still gonna have sons and my little brothers will still have a big brother but I won't."

I let a moment of silence pass, "Which is why he's gotta stop doing this to me."

I want to yell that but Leo's finally asleep and I'm sure he needs it right now. I dampen the cloth again, his fever's dropping a bit but he's still breathing just as heavily as before. Faraji finally looks away and tries to stand. It get's Mikey's attention who helps him away and to the others. Yeah, they've all left us alone. I hear Leo stirring and hold him a bit tighter as he comes to.

"Hey bro," I say as he opens his eyes to look up at me.

I know I'm wearing a relieved smile and he smiles as well. Leo closes his eyes and leans back more heavily against me.

"Thank you," he mumbles under his heavy breaths.

I smile more and bend my head to whisper to him, can't have the others hearing.

"Anytime big brother, now just rest, don't worry I'm watching over things."

He nods and closes his eyes. A second passes and he opens one eye to look around.

"They're all up at the wheel," I say, guessing he's worrying since he can't see the others.

He closes his eye again and begins moving, which to me is like water for a dieing animal. I smile and some kind of laugh escapes my throat. He takes one deep breath and then snuggles into my shoulder. I can feel my smile soften, it's nice playing big brother once in awhile.

"Raph!" I hear Mikey shout, "We're here!"

Good, the sooner we get Leo to bed the better. Donny and Mikey help me carry him in and I think the Ninja Tribunal could help, after all they're these ancient masters. They should be able to do something to help Leo.

"Yo seishous we got wounded!" I shouted as we walk in.

Master Splinter and the Ancient One are by us in a second.

"Leonardo," Master Splinter says.

Why does he always have to say to that in **that **voice! That voice never speaks any good news!

"Put him down."

We set Leo down and step back as our sensei takes out a cloth bag of water. He sits by Leo's side as we stare and just watch.

"Drink my son."

All I can do is think how better he looks but how bad he was.

"The cask, has it opened? Is it damaged?" Con asks in a rush.

Hey, we got more important things to worry about here! Can't he see Leo's hurt!? I want to scream it but I know I probably shouldn't.

Hisomi appears out of no where, as usual, and grabs the casket from Adam. As he jumps back to the Ninja Tribunal they all crowd around it, like it's the most important thing in the universe at this moment. Are they blind!? Leo is hurt!

"But master," Faraji says while being supported by Joi and Tora, "Leonardo is injured."

Juto stepped back to face us, "You should have left him if it put the cask in jeopardy."

WHAT!?

My hands go to my weapon. I'm all for tearing through them right now!

"But sensei I-," Faraji says stepping away from the others and falling onto his hands and knees, "He saved our lives master and the cask without Leonardo-"

"Your lives are meaningless compared to these artifacts acolyte," Juto says.

Master Splinter turns and glares at them, "You heartless monster. Have you no compassion for those who would give their lives for you? You are no better than the snarling wretches that serve the evil one."

"Our ways are our own," Con argues, "but you and your sons deserve to know this. The evil that threatens this world overshadows everything. Compassion, our lives, even honor."

The cask is glowing and I can't look away for coming out of it is something too familiar to my eyes.

"If we fail, the world will fall. Fall to him."

I suddenly feel sick.

"The Shredder?" says a new voice.

I look down and see Leo's awake and almost holding himself up on one arm. I'm not sure which shocks me more the fact Leo's finally up and speaking or the fact the Ninja Tribunal just told us our old enemy's going to come back and try to take over the world. There's silence for a long minute until I hear a groan from Leo. I drop down behind him and put my hands on his shoulders.

"Easy bro," I say, "Donny, Mikey we need to get him inside and into bed."

My little brothers force their eyes away from the cask and rush to Leo's sides where we all pick him up and head inside. We go strait to the room we're all sharing and lay Leo down on the mats they gave us for beds. He's unconscious again. I don't blame him, I wanted to pass out myself. I really wish there was something better, he's probably not going to be moving much more until tomorrow morning. I already know I'm getting no sleep tonight.

"I'm going to go check on the others," Donny says, "All I can say is to just let Leo rest for now."

"I'll stay here," I say and then turn to my baby brother, "You go with Donny. Make sure you check on sensei and the Ancient One as well."

"Right," Mikey says with a nod.

They both leave and I sit down at Leo's side. I wait and wait. An hour passes and finally he begins to stir.

"Leo?" I ask quietly and reach out to touch his arm.

He opens his eyes and stares at me and then around the room.

"Mikey and Donny have gone to check on the others," I say, anticipating his question.

His arms shake and I watch without moving as he successfully sits up on his own. He's fine for three seconds and then his arms give out. I lean forward to stop him from falling back.

"I gotcha bro, you're ok," I say uneasily.

"Why does it sound like you're trying to convince yourself instead of me?" Leo asks, his voice thankfully now clear.

I sigh, "Leo, we could've lost you again. I can't stand the thought of a team of three. It's just not supposed to be like that so stop scaring me-uh, us like this."

Leo smiles, he's caught it. I frown and glance at the floor.

"You can't leave Leo," I mumble.

"I'm not leaving any time soon little brother," he says.

Usually that would make me angry but truthfully my anger died down for the day, well except maybe my anger at the Ninja Tribunal. Those words they said are still echoing in my mind.

"_You should have left him if it put the cask in jeopardy."_

"You're thinking about what Juto-sensei said?" Leo asks.

"Well yeah, duh," I say, "I can't believe them. Leave you behind? Nothing in this world would make me ever do that."

"But the Shredder-" Leo says but I cut him off.

"I don't care if the world falls to the Shredder. We beat him once and we can do it again! Besides," I lower my voice, this is embarrassing but I feel I have to say it, "My family's more important than the world and everything in it."

Leo's just expressionless.

"Yeah, yeah laugh if you want. You know it's true and you're the same way so you're only really laughing at yourself."

"I'm not laughing," Leo says, "I understand Raph. Family's more important than anything that's why I did what I did."

I take a deep breath and then set bonrai up against the wall.

"What's it like?" Leo asks.

"Hmm?" I ask back.

"Having a soul weapon."

"Like a piece of your soul has been formed into it."

Then I'm hit with a sudden answer we had all been wondering. Yes, we all questioned why everyone but Leo got a soul weapon. Heck if anyone here is worthy it'd be him. It's not that he not worthy he's over-worthy.

"I got it," I mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Listen Leo, I finally figured it out."

"What?"

"Why you didn't get a soul weapon like the rest of us."

He raises his head a bit, he's in interested in hearing my theory but I know it's the truth.

"Well, remember how Master Splinter always told us to allow our weapons to become a part of us?"

Leo nods.

"Well you're the only one who ever accomplished that. Your swords have always been a part of you, not to mention everything they've gone through."

I remember it in a second, him losing them during that ambush by the Foot, them snapping when we first went to the Battle Nexus and also that night he forged them again.

"What does that have to do with it?" Leo asks.

"Don't you get it Leo? You didn't get one, because you already got em," I say turning my head to his swords that were lying next to bonrai.

"Look me and the others can put away our weapons and fight with new ones, could you honestly give your swords up again?"

Silence.

"They're too much a part of you now bro," I pause and roll my eyes, "It's just like you to of had the weapon before we even got here."

He laughs at that, "Maybe you're right."

"I am right, if there's any warrior here that fights and trains with his soul it's you."

It's silent for three seconds.

"Don't let it go to your head Fearless," I add.

He's laughs again and I can't help but smile.

"Now get some more rest Leo, you need it," I say.

"I have you to thank," he mutters.

"For what?" I ask, setting my eyes on questioning.

"For helping me forge my swords that day."

I shift, leaning back a bit, "You forged them I just built the fire."

"You did more than that."

I can feel my mouth twitching, "Go to sleep Leo."

He laughs again and then closes his eyes. In seconds his breathing deepens and I release a breath I wasn't aware I had been holding in.

"You're right Raph."

I jump to my feet and turn around quickly to see my little brothers standing on the doorway. Oh great, just perfect…

Donny sighs, "Leave it to Leo to have his soul weapons before we even arrive."

"Leo's just like that," Mikey says and they both walk to their beds to go to sleep.

"I'll mock you about it later Raph," Mikey says before lying down.

I growl but look back once at my older brother before I lay down on my bed next to his and close my eyes. I ain't gonna sleep, I know that. I don't think Mikey or Donny will either. I chance a look up at bonrai and Leo's swords. For a second I imagine my sais replacing bonrai but I shake the image away.

Yeah, Leo already embedded his soul into his weapons long ago, he won't replace them with anything no matter how much power a weapon could give him.

* * *

Well, yeah I wanted to include my explanation for Leo not receiving a weapon. After everything his swords and he have been through I don't think you could ever tear them apart not for any weapon with any amount of power anywhere. My first thought when I saw the episode for the first time was.

Leo didn't get a soul weapon because he's already got one.

I'm not sure if that's true but that's my opinion and I believe it's a pretty fair one.

Hope you enjoyed the story.

~Moonsetta


End file.
